A Mind Prison

Unless you’re already too addicted to notice, the internet has become a mind prison and everyone around looks more than happy to serve a life sentence. Our crime? Validation. An intrinsic part of being human that can destroy dreams, ideas, and eventually the person seeking to be validated.

The web is no longer exclusive to nerds and geeks seeking to escape reality and expand their knowledge; It is everywhere for anyone. Social networks changed the World and the way we behave. Developers like you and me enabled this “progress” to take place. We helped to transform a communication device into a weapon.

As a result, we are more distant from each other. We tend to favor a cold, lifeless message over physical interaction. We give away too much information without anyone asking for it. We spend so much time crafting our online identity that it finally takes over who we were.

Social networks exploit our need to feel wanted and be liked by turning it into a feature. A score that enslaves your attention, for it is considered proof that may shatter whatever self-perception we believed to have. You start comparing your life to others, envy and self-doubt kicks in. Shallow and irrelevant thoughts follow to occupy your mind. Dreams and ideas are delayed until they fade away. You join the swarm and become a number.

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

There is more to life than what our eyes can perceive. Your DNA is just as unique as the circumstances that led to your existence and you can’t change that. The time to move forward is now. Data can be conserved but, we expire. Let’s spend less time online and enjoy family and friends the way we’re supposed to. Your mind will benefit from it and will be in better shape to make those dreams come true.